Report: Olympia judge refuses to perform gay weddings

Judge Gary Tabor told the Olympian that he will not make himself available to perform gay marriages, and said he is not legally required to perform the ceremonies. According to the Olympian, Tabor also said he did not intended for his choice to be a political or legal statement, and added that many other judges are available to perform same-sex marriages.

Tabor has previously refused to perform marriages in the Thurston County Jail, the Olympian reported.

Tabor has served as a Thurston County Superior Court judge since 1996. He is a graduate of Oklahoma Christian Colleg. The school’s website said the school “honors God’s plan that sexual relations be a part of a marriage between a man and a woman.”

David

Marco Luxe

Exactly. The judge didn't say he would remain neutral in the marriage issue by declining to officiate at any marriages. He took a stand against civil equality under the law, and a stand against the law itself. That invites a claim of bias from any gay citizen before him.

jeremy

This induhvidual should not be allowed to preside over any case involving gays, gender variant or female people since his religious views are likely to color his decisions. As for his claim that he didn't wish to make this some public statement of his bias against gay people, if that were so he could have kept it to himself and just happened to not be available. I am so tired of the religious people who seem to wish we could return to the cruel ignorant biblical times. How depressing that would be. I wish this society would make social progress faster than it has. What is social progress? Life liberty and the pursuit of happiness for everyone. Each person given equal OPPORTUNITY to do their best unencumbered by virulent sexist, racist, gay hating people.

Allen

Ash

Regardless of your beliefs part of our society is that we may not infringe upon another person's religious beliefs. And while I may not agree with this judges decision he has a legal right to decline to do the ceremonies based upon his religious and moral beliefs. To force him to perform the ceremony's would be just like telling military members that they have to belong to a specific religion in order to collect their pay. So stating that he shouldn't collect a paycheck is really just an inflammatory statement that has no bearing on the judge's decision.

Tiredofit!!

No, perfoming marriages IS NOT a duty of the judge that is required by law!! Most judges simply do it as a courtesy!! How ignorant people are.

Funny how the LGBT side preaches "inclusion" but it their proclamation of what they say are their rightrs they are "excluding" those of faith that truly believe this is a sin! It is a sin and a true abomination against God.

And to Jeremy's comments….ahh, it doesn't even deserve an intelligent response!